the 941

Why we are not likely to see war crimes prosecutions for anyone in the Bush White House, despite the desperate need.

• Nevertheless, Bush and Cheney have put a succession plan in place that sidesteps Congress should both of them be removed from office

• Despite its pleas for advice and need for rescue, the GOP is still hoping that Ron Paul will go away. Quietly.

• Newspapers stocks are deservedly in the tank, but it does not help that many buyers have been aggressively shorting, or betting the stocks will go even lower.

• Even McPaper is suffering.

• The scary rise of disaster capitalism.

• Criticize the Transportation Security Administration’s grossly bloated terrorism watch list, find yourself on it.

• Take a photo of a cop, get arrested.

• Plans are moving forward for the government to microchip all Americans. Why not just tatoo us like the Nazis did to the Jews?

• McCain: two gays only count as one parent.

• Time for the Mediterranean Union?

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Mote Marine Laboratory has been caring for two pygmy killer whales, Dallas and Pete, for the last few weeks. One of the animals had another CT scan on Thursday and both are on the road to recovery and, hopefully, re-release into the wild. (Photo by Marc M. Ellis/Mote)

In other environmental news this week:

• Coral reefs are in big trouble. And not just from global warming, but from escaped farmed algae.

• New technology allows windows to collect solar energy for power generation. Yes, you can still see through them.

• How do we make air conditioners greener? This could save us a lot of money down here in the subtropical part of the United States.

• Stick this in you pipe and smoke it: your skin is producing marijuana-like substances.

• Further proof that Republicans really hate everyone: the government has again devalued human life, literally.

• Bush punts on global warming policy until the next president takes office.

• This looks like fun. Stupid fun, but fun nonetheless.

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Her supporters are not giving up and somehow getting Hillary Clinton the Democratic nomination for president.

• Libertarians come in from the political wilderness. Sort of.

• The Department of Homeland Security is defending its practice of searching laptop computers in customs.

• A century of controlling the masses.

• Privacy’s twilight.

• Federal judge rules that President Bush is a felon.

• John McCain: bigamist?

• And why won’t he talk about his connections to the Project for a New American Century?

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At least that’s the hypothesis advanced by former prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi. Bugliosi, who successfully prosecuted Charles Manson, says in a new book, that Bush should be brought up on charges for the death of every American in Iraq.  I think we’d all tune in to CourtTV to watch this one. It’d make the O.J. Simpson trial look like some sad Matlock re-run.

• Ann Coulter is, of course, bat-shit crazy, but she is a gifted writer and is very, very funny at times. Here’s her take on oil drilling in ANWR.

• She also promoting what she claims is the only pro-McCain site on the internet: getdrunkandvote4mccain.com

• And speaking of pundits, how Matt Drudge rules the political world.

• Today in dodgy political behavior:

• President Bush is clicking his heels with joy after Congressional Democrats completely caved in on wiretapping.

• Dick Cheney’s still ignoring the evidence for climate change.

• John McCain dodged a question about health insurance companies that pay for Viagra but not birth control pills. Coward.

• McCain also thinks Barack Obama will have a change of heart on the Iraq War after sitting down with Gen David Petraeus.

• Then there’s the whole black holes versus white holes arguement.

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Just when you think the neocons can’t come up with an even more Draconian scheme to usurp civil liberties, along comes this plan to force every airline passenger to wear a Taser-like shock collar that can be used at any time.

It will hurt much more than this:

• But life could be worse: you could be living in your car.

• Sex crimes sponsored by the White House.

• And speaking of sex in the White House.

• But, whatever you do, don’t equate John McCain with George W. Bush.

• We’ve likely reached the magic number of 1,000,000 terrorists, but it’s not like the government is going to tells us. We are, however, expected to take these faceless minions at their word.

• FISA may have been updated, but countless other government suveillance programs continue unabated, and largely, unregulated.

• And finally, a little preview of what to expect if you are planning to protest at either Democratic or Republican national convention.

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As the candidates try to branch out beyond their base constituencies, they are finding themselves hemmed in by the positions they took during the primary process. However, that has not stopped them both from using a time-honored political tactic: the flip flop.

Here’s a guide to the flip-flops by both candidates, thus far.

Plan on having your ass kicked in new ways should you decide to protest at either of the political conventions this summer. The cops have new weapons and are itching to start busting some yippies in the mouth.

• Attention Republicans: the anarchists are coming to a convention near you.

• The truth about today’s FISA vote.

• And oh yeah, all the domestic spying we were worried about after 9/11 actually started just a few weeks into George W. Bush’s presidency.

• It’s time to play: Who killed the economy?

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Some thoughts the Monday after America’s 232nd birthday celebration:

•  A whole lot of reasons to be unpatriotic.

• One more: our use of extraordinary rendition.

• More atrocities that would have pissed off the Founding Fathers enough to start another revolution.

• Even Patrick Buchanan is miffed.

• Under proposed Justice Department rules, the FBI would no longer have to have any reason to start investigating a terrorism suspect.  Your name or ethnic heritage would be enough.

• This is as Congress readies to gut the Fourth Amendment this week.

• But the government can always take refuge in beating hippies. At least the ACLU still cares.

• Texas cops want your blood.

• President Bush tours the country to survey the damage caused by his presidency:

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Everyone knows that George W. Bush’s grandfather Prescott was a Nazi sympathizer, liar and lousy businessman, but few people realize how well W has done in fulfilling his granddad’s fascist dreams for the United  States.

• Which brings us to this video explaining some one restriction to the First Amendment right to free speech:

• If you want to know the truth, it’s always a good idea to turn to the best political journalist we have, Sy Hersh. The rush to war with Iran continues, otherwise unreported.

• Of course, Israel would be thrilled if we’d do the dirty work for them.

• And if you think that an attack on Iran would be a cakewalk, think again.

• But hey, if we start another war in a Muslim country, we can continue to help al Qaeda with its recruiting goals.

• And if you don’t want to take my word for it, how about Ron Paul’s:

• Today’s most disturbing new: Kids at a summer camp at the United States military academy at West Point are getting really jazzed about killing people. Be sure to watch the video. The Hitler Youth parallels are profound.

• The peso is rising against the dollar, foreclosures in the Lone Star State are skyrocketing and there is plenty of money south of the border to fund the takeover.

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Let’s start off with our wonderful brethren from television telling us exactly what was on their minds, even if it wasn’t the news of the day….

• As we build up to another war, probably in Iran, the Pentagon’s Black Budget is near an all-time high.

• And we may get to use more of that super-secret stuff, especially since one pundit thinks the president will attack Iran if it appears that Barack Obama will be elected this November.

• Exploding pastries and more: the real gadgets of the CIA.

• The U.K. has plans to begin microchipping prisoners.

• The dark side of John McCain.

• Ron Paul still does not buy the official view of 9/11.

• So much for the Fourth Amemdment to the Constitution.

• To add one last drop of political joy to your day, some neocons are suggesting bombing Iran’s oil producing facilities to try to stop that country’s work on nuclear enrichment. No matter that this would send gas prices to$10 per gallon or more and ruin the world’s economy for years to come.

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Who’s the greatest torturer of them all? Oh yeah, we are.

• But let’s not forget, we only doing it wrong if the detainee dies.

• One general though, has had enough and is calling U.S. acts “war crimes.” It’s about time.

• But let’s also not forget that questioning the government is, according to President Bush the other day, slanderous.

• But hey, if you want to run a counterinsurgency, here’s a little about the U.S. government’s official manual on the subject. Here’s a summary of the top secret document. And you can download the entire thing here.

• And on the subject of jackbooted thugs, here’s how the government is helping out in the flood stricken areas ofthe Midwest.

• Could Barack Obama decide to forge a national unity ticket be chosing a Republican as a running mate?

• Fun with telemarketers.

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